Jason Kelce’s ESPN Producer Says They’re Trying to Get Him to Stop Saying ‘We’ After Flub Controversy
· Yahoo Sports
Credit: Patrick McDermott/Getty
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- ESPN producer Jeff Dufine said they’ve “tried to get the ‘we’ out of” Jason Kelce after he used the word while calling the Eagles game
- Dufine said referring to former teams as “we” is a common mistake for players and coaches transitioning into the broadcast booth
- “He sees the game really well,” Dufine said of Kelce’s broadcast skills
Jason Kelce is a natural in the broadcast booth, but ESPN is hoping to get the former Philadelphia Eagles star to separate himself from his former team.
Kelce, 38, ended up apologized to Bears fans last month after he repeatedly referred to the Eagles as “we” while calling their Monday Night Football matchup on Sept. 28, and the “we” language continued two weeks later, on Sunday, Oct. 11, as the former safety called the Eagles-Jaguars game.
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In an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer published on Saturday, Oct. 10, longtime ESPN producer Jeff Dufine — who is in his first season running the broadcasts for the NFL’s international games, per the outlet — addressed Kelce’s flub.
Jason Kelce on Sept. 28, 2026 in Chicago, IllinoisCredit: Patrick McDermott/Getty
“We’ve tried to get the ‘we’ out of him,” Dufine told the Inquirer, noting that he’s seen plenty of former players and coaches struggle with same thing while transitioning into broadcast.
Dufine complimented Kelce’s analysis, telling the Inquirer, “He seems the game really well,” and shared the advice he gave Kelce in the booth: “Just tell me what you’re seeing, and we’ll support you the best way we can throughout the course of the game.”
Kelce is in his third season as an ESPN analyst following his retirement from football in 2024. He signed a three-year contract worth $24 million in May 2024, which means the former Eagles star’s contract with the network will expire at the end of the current season, and it remains unknown whether or not he’ll return to the booth.
Kelce suffered another mixup one week after he referred to the Eagles as “we” when he accidentally called the Washington Commanders by their old name. In his debut on NFL Network on Oct. 4, Kelce said, “The Redskins right now doing a great job of not only staying tight, but making the play when the ball is in the receiver’s hand,” before his co-host chimed in to correct him.
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“What’d I do?,” Kelce asked. When his colleague Dave Pasch informed him he called the team by their previous name, which was changed due to criticisms that it was racist, he said, “Oh my god, I almost made it out,” and apologized to viewers for the flub.
Read the original article on People